Puli Township gets set to launch own symphony orchestra

Staff writer, with CNA

Puli Township (埔里), which suffered severe damage from a massive earthquake 14 years ago, will launch its own symphony orchestra on Monday in an effort to nourish local talent and promote tourism, the orchestra’s founders said yesterday.

It is hoped that the 38-member symphony orchestra, named “Butterfly” to reflect the rich butterfly resources in the township, will foster more local interest in classical music, which was used to help heal the area’s residents after the magnitude 7.3 921 Earthquake rocked the region on Sept. 21, 1999, the founders said.

Some of the members, some of who volunteered to play to local children after the quake, said the orchestra also aims to further cultivate young talent in Puli.

“Classical music should not be restricted to metropolitan areas,” said Donald Hsieh, one of the founders. “It is more important to bring music into people’s daily lives so that everyone can appreciate it.”

The orchestra is to give two to four concerts each year, promote exchanges between musicians in Puli and other counties, and give music lessons at local schools, according to the founders, who are members of community organizations such as the New Homeland Foundation and the Puli Visitors Development Association.

The founders said the long-term goal is to make the town an important music hub and a tourist destination featuring music festivals within 10 years.